Homeless volunteer in Charlotte Court

Most Ramsgate and Thanet residents will have read about the fantastic work organised by local businesswoman, Raushan Rahman, owner of the Ramsgate Tandoori restaurant, in helping to spruce up Charlotte Court.

Raushan believes in getting stuck in and has helped rally volunteers to clean, weed, plant and generally make Charlotte Court into an inviting community space.

This has been a great effort by so many people and has been supported by local businesses too.

Raushan has recently found support among some of the rough sleepers in Ramsgate. While weeding with two volunteers from The Link in King Street, Raushan was approached by the men. Offering to help and with Raushan offering a free curry in return, these rough sleepers got stuck in. The men commented on what a difference the work in Charlotte Court made and how much they liked it. One of the men explained to the others that Raushan had provided a free meal for many local rough sleepers at Christmas through the Salvation Army.

Raushan commented today "These rough sleepers, they need help. With the right attitude and approach it can be easy to engage them in community activities."

Making a difference in communities is about bringing people together, helping people to make a contribution. It's been a great local success story to see the willingness to make a difference from even the most unexpected (perhaps) parts of our community.